PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC received goals from four different players – including a stoppage-time winner from Tyler Lussi – to secure a dramatic, 4-3 win against the Orlando Pride in front of 18,909 fans at Providence Park on Sunday afternoon. Hayley Raso, Christine Sinclair and Midge Purce also recorded goals, while Caitlin Foord and Meghan Klingenberg added assists in the win.
Late-game heroics
Lussi has scored two goals in her last three games for Portland. Both of Lussi’s goals have come in substitute appearances, as she tallied the game-tying goal in a 2-1 win on the road against the Houston Dash on June 29. Lussi’s goal in the 94th minute was the latest game-winning goal in Thorns FC history. The previous latest game-winner in club history was scored by Lindsey Horan in the 90th minute on the road against Orlando on June 26, 2016.
Goal-scorers
Raso tallied her first goal of the season in her first start and third appearance of 2019 for Thorns FC. Raso is the 11th different player to score a goal for Portland this season. Purce added her sixth goal of the campaign, which is tied for third-most in the NWSL in 2019. For Sinclair, she tallied her fourth goal of the season.
Against Orlando
With the win, Portland (6-2-4, 22pts) improved to 9-1-1 all-time, including playoffs, against the Pride. In regular-season play, Thorns FC are 8-1-1 all-time with a record of 4-1-0 at Providence Park. Portland won each of the three meetings against Orlando during the 2019 season, scoring two or more goals in all three meetings. Additionally, today’s match marked the second time Thorns FC have scored four goals against Orlando. Portland registered a 4-1 win over the Pride in the 2017 NWSL Semifinals.
Key plays
Raso opened the scoring for Portland in the third minute of the match. Under pressure, Orlando goalkeeper Hayley Kopmeyer attempted to clear the ball from the edge of the box and Raso blocked the kick, dribbled into the box and converted into an open net for her first goal of the season.
Portland had consecutive chances to add to its lead in the 11th minute. Dagny Brynjarsdottir put pressure on Kopmeyer and she cleared the ball directly to Raso inside the box, but Raso’s shot was cleared off the line by Orlando. Sinclair pounced on the loose ball and fired a low, hard shot from inside the box, but again the Pride cleared the ball near the goal line.
Remaining on the front foot, Klingenberg served a ball into the box on a corner kick, and Sinclair headed the ball back across the face of goal. Purce headed the ball to Elizabeth Ball near the right post and she directed a header on target that was deflected just wide of the post by Kopmeyer in the 18th minute.
Raso nearly added her second goal of the match in the 25th minute. Thorns FC goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom drop-kicked the ball from her goal box. It landed near the edge of Orlando’s box and deflected off the head of Pride defender Carson Pickett. Raso then charged into the box and fired a shot just over the crossbar.
Brynjarsdottir just missed Thorns FC’s second goal in the 37th minute on a set piece. Klingenberg played the ball into the box from near midfield. Sinclair flicked the ball on for Brynjarsdottir, who sent a looping header toward the goal, but Kopmeyer jumped to tip the ball just over the crossbar.
Portland generated the first chance of the second half in the 52nd minute. Ellie Carpenter played a cross into the box from the right side. Orlando was unable to clear the ball and it landed for Raso near the penalty spot, but her shot skipped just wide of the left post.
Thorns FC doubled their lead in the 58th minute as Purce scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season. Ball played a long cross from the right wing into the box near the goal line. Kopmeyer misplayed the ball and Purce pounced on the loose ball, heading it into the back of the net.
Orlando made it a 2-1 game in the 61st minute. Marta collected a bouncing ball near the edge of the box and fired a shot into the top right corner of the goal.
Portland added a third goal to take a 3-1 lead in the 66th minute as Sinclair tallied her fourth goal of the season. On a throw-in, Foord settled the ball inside the box and laid it off for Sinclair, who tucked her shot into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Off the ensuing kickoff, the Pride surged down the left side of the field. Marta dribbled to the left post, sending a shot from a tight angle that deflected off a Thorns FC player into the goal to make it a 3-2 score line in the 68th minute.
Orlando tied the match at 3-3 in the 90th minute. Marta played a free kick from just outside the box in the center of the field. Portland cleared the ball, but it landed at the edge of the box for Erin Greening, who hit the ball on the bounce with the outside of her foot inside the right post.
Searching for the game-winner deep in second-half stoppage time, Thorns FC were awarded a free kick on the left wing. Klingenberg’s initial service was headed away, but Gabby Seiler tracked down the ball just outside of the box, sending a looping shot headed for goal that was pushed over the crossbar by Kopmeyer.
On the ensuing corner kick, Klingenberg delivered a pinpoint ball to Lussi at the right post, as she ran to the goal and headed the ball into the back of the net just before the final whistle to record the game-winner for Portland.
Next match
Thorns FC travel for a road match against Utah Royals FC on Friday, July 19, at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Beginning at 7 p.m. (Pacific), the match will be broadcast on Yahoo! Sports.
Portland Thorns FC (6-2-4, 22pts) vs. Orlando Pride (2-9-2, 12pts)
July 14, 2019 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Orlando Pride 0 3 4
Portland Thorns FC 1 3 3
Scoring Summary:
POR: Raso, 3
POR: Purce, 58
ORL: Marta, 61
POR: Sinclair (Foord), 66
ORL: Own goal (Menges), 68
ORL: Greening, 90
POR: Lussi (Klingenberg), 90+4
Misconduct Summary:
ORL: Hill (caution), 36
ORL: Greening (caution), 70
POR: Seiler (caution), 83
ORL: Elinsky (caution), 90+1
Lineups:
POR: GK Eckerstrom, D Carpenter, D Ball (Boureille, 73), D Reynolds, D Menges, D Klingenberg, M Seiler, M Brynjarsdottir, M Sinclair ©, F Purce (Foord, 66), F Raso (Lussi, 70)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Bixby, D Hubly, M Boureille, M Andressinha, F Charley
TOTAL SHOTS: 20 (Purce, Raso, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 11 (Purce, Raso, 2); FOULS: 11 (Brynjarsdottir, Carpenter, 3), OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 4
ORL: GK Kopmeyer, D Greening, D Pressley, D Zadorsky, D Pickett, M Weatherholt (Elinsky, 60), M Marta, M Van Egmond, M Kennedy ©, F Hill (Camila, 77), F Ubogagu
Substitutes Not Used: GK Burdett, D Reid, M Viggiano, M Boyles, F Evans
TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (Marta, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Six players tied, 1); FOULS: 11 (Hill, 3), OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 16
Referee: Matt Franz
Assistant Referees: Jennifer Garner, Katarzyna Wasiak
4th Official: Mike Hohnholz
Attendance: 18,909
Weather: Sunny, 74 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
